New Plymouth's Colson Road Landfill to close this year

After more than 40 years as the region's rubbish dump, New Plymouth District Council's Colson Rd Landfill site is closing this year.

It's another step in the council's Zero Waste 2040 journey and the council wants people to help make the most of an opportunity to decide on the future of the site.

NPDC has set aside about $1.5 million to turn Colson Rd into a public space in the next five years.

People's ideas will help it plan the future development of the space when the council begins to make decisions about what kind of "capping" work will be done later this year.

NPDC Councillor Richard Handley says the closure presents a unique opportunity to decide how the space will be for grandchildren.

"There's more to this place than just an old dump site," says Cr Handley. "There's a large forest area and we already have some ideas about what we could do, such as turning it into a park or bike trail or skating rink. We've got an open mind and want to hear your ideas."

■Let's Kōrero is your chance to feed the council ideas about some big projects as part of its Annual Plan, which includes an operating budget of approximately $150 million. Residents could win an iPad, by filling out a short survey at newplymouthnz.com between 4 March and 2 April.